Some observations.

Saturday I had another shoot and I am starting to notice pattern. Seems like the ammo with a little less neck tension are shooting very well. This was the 2nd shoot in a row where I cleaned the sticks and the bullets were seated in such a way that they would slide in and out of the case very easy. Every once in a while the case would fall off from the projectile when I picked it up but that wasnt a big deal at all. I have been using a .473 bushing in my neck sizer but here lately I have been using the .474. I guess I will keep using this and see what happens. I have another shoot in 2 weeks at friendship. I can hardly wait.

years ago jerry hartwig, a west coast bpcr master and champ, told me that the best neck tension was none. i think he was on to something. :) however, i do need at least a bit of neck tension with a bore riding PPB, else it can literally fall off whilst in the chamber. with an ever-so-slight slight taper crimp, the PPB can rotate in the case and with little effort get pulled out. but i'd rather there be zero neck tension. dunno how that can happen unless the PPB wasn't bore riding and the ogive engraved the rifling.

I wonder if you could put a tiny tiny dot of Elmer's Glue in there or something - Some adhesive that would evaporate when the round was fired? I haven't tried zero neck tension - ever. Yet. Interesting.

I shoot zero neck tension on my rounds also. I use a Meacham bushing die for neck sizing only and several bushing in .001 increments and a couple polished out to .0005 increments. Heres a formula to give you an idea of what bushing to use. neck wall thickness X 2 + measured bullet dia = loaded neck dia. For zero tension I had .001 to this to start. I also have tested at .0005 step.

I normally prime fired cleaned cases powder them and wad compress to depth add rest of wad stack and hand seat bullet the size neck around bullet to set neck tension. My PP bullets are .449-.450 wrapped in Seth Cole paper. Bushing in sizer die is around .4695 size. this normally allows the case to be picked up and bullet stays in place. With grease grooved bullets the bushings changed out to a larger size since they are groove dia plus .001 or .002. One thing I like on the Meacham die is the cap is pass thry so a round with bullet seated can be neck sized easily.

One thing I did try was a very light wipe of spg on the wrapped bullet this did seem to help hold the bullet in the case some with loght to no tension loads if the no tension wasn't sloppy

I have always seated the Bullet after I have sized the mouth. I wait until I get to the range to seat my projectiles.


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Actually looks like I will be going to a 2 day shoot in Alma this weekend. Anyone else gonna be there?


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Well **** that didn’t go as well as o had hoped it would. Missed 5 lay downs on each day. I am still pretty happy with the way these looser bullets are shooting in-spite of my poor performance.


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My Meachim die give me .0016 inside mouth diameter smaller than the patched boolit, measured with gage pins. The patched boolit mikes .4505. I can seat the boolit by hand but it is tight, but can turn the bullet in the case. I do the final seating with a Redding precision seating die. Accuracy is good.

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Richard,

I always found that when I was shooting straight sided bore diameter ppb in a grease groove chamber accuracy improved when I closed up the case mouth just snug on the undersize bullets. In my .45-90 Shiloh I used a Lee factory crimp die I had made and that worked well and I could adjust the amount the case was closed up on the bullets.

DT

I full length resize the cases, and then use a custom expander die from Buffalo Arms to open the case mouth just enough to let the bullet seat with a bit of neck tension. The bullets will turn just in the case, but won't fall out easily. I guess it works for the most part. I fired a 8 1/8 in 5 shot group at 500 meters this past Sunday at the Wyoming state bpcrs match. It was the tightest group by far turned in that day on the "fifth" target.

Nice shooting Don !!!!

Im taking a short break till it cools off a bit, i can shoot in 90F and 90#
But at 100 F and 90% its just not fun :(

Thanks Dave. The weather this year has been something of a roller coaster ride as far as shooting for fun goes. I was hoping to wring out the 40-70 a bit yesterday, but we had 20 mph winds, and so today was the day, but it's already 15 and gusty, not a particularly good day to try out a new bullet to see if it'll group or not.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b128b2381a.jpg. Flatsguide the mouth of your brass looks a lot like the mouth on mine after I run it through the Meacham.


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It sure does!they look good all loaded up and ready to go.
Regards, Richard